Specialist lending is a top priority for mortgage brokers, according to new research from UCB Home loans. According to the lender, 78% of brokers now operate in the specialist market as well as in the mainstream market. Self-cert lending was found to account for 35% of the market, buy-to-let for 30%, with the remainder of the market comprising of sub-prime, equity release and 100% lending. The survey revealed that brokers use different criteria when selecting specialist lenders. While product range and price are the most important considerations when choosing a mainstream lender, specialist lenders are chosen on their levels of underwriting and service.